The BCCI on Wednesday announced new contracts for the country’s top cricketers with significantly enhances annual fees. The cricket body also introduced A+ category of players, who will now be paid a whopping Rs 7 crore annually by the board.
Captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were among those who were picked up for the top contract. However, Mohammed Shami, who was the pick of the Indian bowler against South Africa during the team’s recent tour, has not been included among the contracted players. Sources within the BCCI said that his recent performance may have earned him A+ contract worth Rs 7 crore.
“The BCCI has taken cognisance of all the reports emerging about Mohammed Shami’s personal life. It is purely a personal matter and the BCCI has nothing to do with it. However, keeping in mind that the woman in question has met the police commissioner of Kolkata, it is only prudent on BCCI’s part to wait for any official inquiry to take place,” an official was quoted by PTI.
Shami’s woes don’t appear to end here. His IPL team Delhi Daredevils too may take similar action in line with the action taken by the BCCI.
“Our thinking is very simple. For us the supreme body is the BCCI. So we will go as per the BCCI’s direction and whatever decisions the BCCI takes, we will sit with them and will agree to those. So I think the direction and guidance will have to come from the BCCI,” Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua told The Indian Express.
Shami’s wife, Hasin Jahan, had, earlier this week, made stunning allegations of infidelity and domestic violence against her husband. She had also posted several WhatsApp conversations of her husband with girls from India and Pakistan. Jahan had also claimed that Shami and his family even threatened to kill her.
Shami on Wednesday had taken to his social media pages to deny allegations made by his wife. He had written, “Hi I’m Mohammad Shami. Ye jitna bhi news hamara personal life ke bare may chal raha hai, ye sab sarasar jhut hai, ye koi bahut bada humare khilap sajish hai or ye mujhe Badnam karne or mera game kharab karne ka kosis ki ja rahi hai. (The news about my personal life is false. This a big conspiracy against me and the motive is to defame me. This is a ploy to spoil my performance on the field.”
Meanwhile, actor Ajaz Khan has come out in the open in his support for Shami. Khan wrote on Twitter, “Bhai don’t worry Hidustaan Ke pass bus yahi kaam Hai logo ko peechey khichna Aap aagey badho namaz padho Allah is great he will help u no one will help Only him I m with u (sic).”
Under the new contract system, players chosen for category A will get Rs 5 crore, while Rs 3 crore will be paid to players in category B and Rs 1 to those in C category.
